Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara governor, has clarified that the military officer who clashed with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, in a viral video, will not face disciplinary action.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle dismissed public speculation that the soldier might be punished, stating that the incident had been exaggerated.
The video, which surfaced on Tuesday, showed Wike in a heated exchange with Lt. Ahmed Yerima at a disputed land site in Abuja. The minister was seen attempting to calm tensions between his security aides and the soldiers at the location.
Matawalle stressed that the Defence Ministry upholds mutual respect between civil authorities and the military, adding that the matter has been resolved without any need for sanctions.
In the clip, Wike was heard demanding to see the approval granted to the landowner, insisting that the development must have official authorisation.
Responding, one of the soldiers said the land documents were legitimate and that they were only ensuring compliance with due process.
“On the contrary, sir, we are not intimidating anybody. The papers are complete, and he said he has submitted them,” the soldier said.
Matawalle stated that the officer acted appropriately and within the limits of the law.
“What happened with the minister is not good. The FCT minister (Wike) was not supposed to approach the young officer like that,” he said.
The former Zamfara governor added, “He is our colleague — even if there is an issue, he should have contacted us first.
“What the soldier did was correct because he was trained to follow due process. He acted respectfully and deserves appreciation for that.
“In military law, there is no punishment for that because he did the right thing by following due process and the law.
“If you notice, he spoke with respect, so there should be no punishment.
“When the minister met him, he should not have exchanged words with him, even just because of his uniform.
“Whoever wrongs a military officer, it’s as if they wronged the president, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.”
The minister also assured that Lt. Yerima would not be penalised since he did not violate any military regulation.
“Nothing will happen to that military man. It’s not about defending the military; as I said, we are following the law and order. The minister (Wike) knows that the officer has superiors,” Matawalle stated.
He explained that before speaking on the matter, he confirmed with the Chief of Defence Staff that an investigation was already underway.
“He made an inquiry before going there. The Chief of Defence Staff told him to wait for investigation, but he refused and approached the soldiers directly,” Matawalle said.
He continued, “As a leader, he should have waited. Even the navy said they will conduct their own investigation.”
Matawalle added that he had not received any official complaint from Wike regarding the matter but had personally contacted him after the video went viral.
“I called him yesterday after I saw the video. I told him he should have called me first, and he said he was told. I assured him I would investigate the issue,” he said.
Recall that on Wednesday, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru stated that the federal government and the military leadership would protect all soldiers engaged in lawful duties.
